All That Jazz

Vintage black-and-white photos of jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie and Chet Baker look out upon the tight and cozy office space. Opposite the legendary trumpeters in their framed jazz club confines are colorful art deco posters advertising past jazz festivals. Filling out the office are other assorted relics from America’s original art form: trade magazines, current touring artists’ photos and contact information for different venues and artists in the Sarasota area.

This concentration of all things jazz is the administrative home of the Jazz Club of Sarasota. Located on the sleepy side of South Pineapple Avenue, the Jazz Club of Sarasota is one of the largest and most active jazz organizations in the U.S. Hal Davis, jazz expert and publicist to swing bandleader Benny Goodman, founded the organization in 1980. The approximately 650 members support local talent, attend concerts and keep the rich American tradition of jazz alive in Sarasota through various concerts and events large and small. Each year culminates with the club’s annual jazz festival, now entering its 35th year.

Outside of the jazz club’s efforts, the region’s population of jazz artists would have hardly any opportunities to perform and play, says Dave Walrath, president of the Jazz Club of Sarasota. The club is constantly seeking to cultivate new converts.

“If there was no club, there’s no jazz in Sarasota,” says Walrath. “I’m afraid to say that our main goal is to keep jazz alive; we’ve learned through the years that the music refuses to die.”

Walrath, who is a percussionist himself, spearheads the club’s performance and education initiatives along with a zealous board of directors. Larger Sarasota arts organizations have departments and staff members dedicated to public relations, fundraising and education. Though the Jazz Club of Sarasota doesn’t have comparable size or resources as its organizational peers, its members and board have just as much drive to deliver quality performances.

Regional jazz veterans and amateur journeymen looking for a stage to express their improvisational chops have the weekly “Jazz at Two” concert series held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota almost every Friday afternoon between October and April; various larger concerts throughout the year; Sunday “Jazz Jams” at Libby’s Café + Bar where local jazz artists can sit in with the Jazz Club’s house rhythm section; and the ultimate event of the club’s season: the Sarasota Jazz Festival.

By holding various concerts throughout the year, the Jazz Club hopes to attract a younger fanbase. One of the club’s main goals is to provide education of the improvisational music form.

“We’re striving to bring younger people into jazz and let them know that loving jazz and other musical genres isn’t a mutually exclusive idea,” says Walrath.

Given its modest size and resources, the Jazz Club prides itself on being able to award scholarships to high school students who plan to study music in college. The club also lobbies to put more music and jazz education back into school curriculum to balance STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and math) lesson plans.

“We don’t just want to see students exposed to jazz; (we want to) have their education balanced with the arts,” says Walrath. “If we can inspire one student to attend a show who wouldn’t be there otherwise, we will try our hardest to get them there.”